Specifically programmed game-operating computer systems for conducting games having a common jackpot and computer-implemented methods of use thereof

ABSTRACT

In some embodiments, the present invention provides for a specifically programmed game operating computer system which, when executing the particular program code, is configured to operate in real-time a game based, at least in part, on: electronically receiving, in real-time, via a computer network, game entries data representing game entries for playing the game which has a common jackpot or shares the common jackpot with another game, where the common jackpot is configured to be calculated, in real-time during game entry submission, based on the game having a plurality of options within at least one of the following parameters: a price point per game entry, a payout level, a prize structure, a common jackpot contribution collection, and a prize distribution mechanism.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/990,706, filed Jan. 7, 2016, entitled “SPECIFICALLY PROGRAMMEDGAME-OPERATING COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR CONDUCTING GAMES HAVING A COMMONJACKPOT AND COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHODS OF USE THEREOF”, which claimspriority of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/100,794, filed Jan. 7, 2015,entitled “GAME-OPERATING COMPUTER SYSTEMS FOR GAMES HAVING A COMMONJACKPOT AND COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHODS OF USE THEREOF,” which areincorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF INVENTION

In some embodiments, the present invention is related to specificallyprogrammed game-operating computer systems for conducting games having acommon jackpot and computer-implemented methods of use thereof.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Interaction with schedules covering large scale data sets is ubiquitous.Activities that require specific systems and processes to interact withsuch schedules include but are not limited to, appointments (e.g.,medical, dental, spa, professional, training, etc.), bookings (e.g.,time slots for space, sport (golf, tennis, squash)), reservations (e.g.,hotels), rentals (e.g., car, vacation, equipment), invitations (e.g.,business, parties), social gatherings, sports leagues, etc.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In some embodiments, the present invention provides for a specificallyprogrammed game operating computer system, including at least thefollowing components: at least one specialized computer machine,including at least the following components: a non-transient memory,electronically storing particular computer executable program code; andat least one computer processor which, when executing the particularprogram code, becomes a specifically programmed computer processor ofthe specifically programmed game operating computer system that isconfigured to concurrently perform in real-time at least the followingoperations for at least a thousand (1,000) of players: electronicallyreceiving, by the at least one specialized computer machine, inreal-time, via a computer network, game entries data representing gameentries from the at least 1,000 players, where each game entry dataincludes: i) game mode data, identifying at least one first game beingplayed, ii) at least one price point selection, identifying an amountspent to purchase such game entry, and iii) at least one game playingselection by a corresponding player; where the at least one first game:i) has a first common jackpot feature, 1) where the first common jackpotfeature is configured to be calculated, in real-time during game entrysubmission, based on the at least one first game having a plurality ofoptions within at least one of the following parameters: a) a pricepoint per game entry, b) a payout level, c) a prize structure, d) acommon jackpot contribution collection, and e) a prize distributionmechanism; or ii) is configured to share a second common jackpot featurewith at least one second game, 1) where the second common jackpotfeature is configured to be calculated, in real-time during game entrysubmission, based on the at least one first game and the at least onesecond game having the plurality of options within at least one of thefollowing parameters respectively: a) the price point per game entry, b)the payout level, c) the prize structure, d) the common jackpotcontribution collection, and e) the prize distribution mechanism;electronically calculating, by the at least one specialized computermachine, in real-time during each game entry submission: 1) portionweight contributions for allocating game entry amounts to operate thefirst common jackpot feature or the second common jackpot feature, wherethe calculating of the portion weight contributions is based, at leastin part, on the plurality of options within at least one of thefollowing parameters: a) the price point per game entry, b) the payoutlevel, and c) the prize structure; and 2) an current estimated commonjackpot amount; electronically allocating, by the at least onespecialized computer machine, in real-time, the game entry amounts fromthe game entries of the at least 1,000 players to operate the firstcommon jackpot feature or the second common jackpot feature; andelectronically determining, by the at least one specialized computermachine, at least one game winner; and electronically generating, by theat least one specialized computer machine, at least one prizedistribution, comprising a common jackpot prize distribution based onthe operation of the first common jackpot feature or the second commonjackpot feature.

In some embodiments, the at least one first game is a first lotterygame. In some embodiments, the at least one second game is a secondlottery game. In some embodiments, the at least one game playingselection is: 1) randomly generated by a lottery terminal, or 2)electronically acquired from a lottery paper slip or a digital inputsubmitted by such player via a specialized graphical user interfacespecifically programmed for the at least one first game. In someembodiments, the price point per game entry has at least two optionswhich each player can select from. In some embodiments, the payout levelhas at least two options which each player can select from. In someembodiments, the prize structure parameter has at least two optionswhich each player can select from.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides for acomputer-implemented method, including at least the steps of:electronically receiving, by at least one specifically programmedcomputer processor, via a computer network, in real-time, game entriesdata representing game entries from at least a thousand (1,000) ofplayers, where each game entry data includes: i) game mode data,identifying at least one first game being played, ii) at least one pricepoint selection, identifying an amount spent to purchase such gameentry, and iii) at least one game playing selection by a correspondingplayer; where the at least one first game: i) has a first common jackpotfeature, 1) where the first common jackpot feature is configured to becalculated, in real-time during game entry submission, based on the atleast one first game having a plurality of options within at least oneof the following parameters: a) a price point per game entry, b) apayout level, c) a prize structure, d) a common jackpot contributioncollection, and e) a prize distribution mechanism; or ii) is configuredto share a second common jackpot feature with at least one secondgame, 1) where the second common jackpot feature is configured to becalculated, in real-time during game entry submission, based on the atleast one first game and the at least one second game having theplurality of options within at least one of the following parametersrespectively: a) the price point per game entry, b) the payout level, c)the prize structure, d) the common jackpot contribution collection, ande) the prize distribution mechanism; electronically calculating, by theat least one specifically programmed computer processor, in real-timeduring each game entry submission: 1) portion weight contributions forallocating game entry amounts to operate the first common jackpotfeature or the second common jackpot feature, where the calculating ofthe portion weight contributions is based, at least in part, on theplurality of options within at least one of the following parameters: a)the price point per game entry, b) the payout level, and c) the prizestructure; and 2) an current estimated common jackpot amount;electronically allocating, by the at least one specifically programmedcomputer processor, in real-time, the game entry amounts from the gameentries of the at least 1,000 players to operate the first commonjackpot feature or the second common jackpot feature; and electronicallydetermining, by the at least one specifically programmed computerprocessor, at least one game winner; and electronically generating, bythe at least one specifically programmed computer processor, at leastone prize distribution, comprising a common jackpot prize distributionbased on the operation of the first common jackpot feature or the secondcommon jackpot feature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be further explained with reference to theattached drawings, wherein like structures are referred to by likenumerals throughout the several views. The drawings shown are notnecessarily to scale, with emphasis instead generally being placed uponillustrating the principles of the present invention. Therefore,specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not tobe interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis forteaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the presentinvention.

FIGS. 1-4 illustrate certain exemplary computer architecture inaccordance with some principles of some embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 5-11 illustrate certain exemplary logical rules diagrams foroperating some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12 illustrates certain exemplary visual game output generated inaccordance with some principles of some embodiments of the presentinvention.

FIGS. 13A-13C illustrate certain exemplary paper game outputs (e.g.,lottery entry slips, lottery receipt) utilized in accordance with someembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 14 illustrates embodiments of the present invention, showing anindicative prize structure designed with a single game mode/matrix andmultiple price options, prize structures, and payout levels, offering acommon jackpot pool.

FIGS. 15A-15B illustrate certain exemplary paper game outputs (e.g.,lottery entry slips) utilized in accordance with some embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 16 illustrates an example of utilizing certain exemplary logicalrules in operating some embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Among those benefits and improvements that have been disclosed, otherobjects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingfigures. Detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosedherein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodimentsare merely illustrative of the invention that may be embodied in variousforms. In addition, each of the examples given in connection with thevarious embodiments of the invention is intended to be illustrative, andnot restrictive.

Throughout the specification and claims, the following terms take themeanings explicitly associated herein, unless the context clearlydictates otherwise. The phrases “in one embodiment” and “in someembodiments” as used herein do not necessarily refer to the sameembodiment(s), though it may. Furthermore, the phrases “in anotherembodiment” and “in some other embodiments” as used herein do notnecessarily refer to a different embodiment, although it may. Thus, asdescribed below, various embodiments of the invention may be readilycombined, without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention.

In addition, as used herein, the term “or” is an inclusive “or”operator, and is equivalent to the term “and/or,” unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. The term “based on” is not exclusive andallows for being based on additional factors not described, unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. In addition, throughout thespecification, the meaning of “a”, “an”, and “the” include pluralreferences. The meaning of “in” includes “in” and “on”.

It is understood that at least one aspect/functionality of variousembodiments described herein can be performed in real-time and/ordynamically. As used herein, the term “real-time” is directed to anevent/action that can occur instantaneously or almost instantaneously intime when another event/action has occurred. In some embodiments, theterms “instantaneous,” “instantaneously,” “instantly,” and “in realtime” refer to a condition where a time difference between a first timewhen a search request is transmitted and a second time when a responseto the request is received is no more than 1 second. In someembodiments, the time difference between the request and the response isbetween less than 1 second and several seconds.

As used herein, the term “dynamic(ly)” means that events and/or actionscan be triggered and/or occur without any human intervention. In someembodiments, events and/or actions in accordance with the presentinvention can be in real-time and/or based on a predeterminedperiodicity of at least one of: nanosecond, several nanoseconds,millisecond, several milliseconds, second, several seconds, minute,several minutes, hourly, several hours, daily, several days, weekly,monthly, etc.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention can include the use of electronic mobile devices(e.g., smartphones, etc.) of players and server(s) in the distributednetwork environment, communicating over a suitable data communicationnetwork (e.g., the Internet, etc.) and utilizing at least one suitabledata communication protocol (e.g., IPX/SPX, X.25, AX.25, AppleTalk,TCP/IP (e.g., HTTP), etc.).

In some embodiments, exemplary inventive game-operating system(s) caninclude the use of an electronic terminal(s), where the electronicterminal(s) can be any purpose terminal that transacts with individuals(e.g., a lottery terminal, a gaming terminal, a vending machine, acashier register, an individual's mobile device being programmed toserve, as, for example, lottery and/or gaming terminal, etc.).

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention are configured to deliver a game including multipleoptions (e.g., but not limited to, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, etc.options), where the options include: price points, payout levels, prizestructures, winning odds, or any combination thereof, to each player ofa plurality of players. In some embodiments, the inventivegame-operating system(s) are configured to deliver the multiple optionsto each player of a plurality of players (e.g., but not limited to, atleast 1,000 players, at least 10,000 players, at least 100,000 players,etc.) by use of a plurality of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) (e.g.,but not limited to, at least 1,000 GUIs at least 10,000 GUIs, at least100,000 GUIs, etc.). In some embodiments, each option/variation of thegame includes a common jackpot pool, where the common jackpot pool isdivided and/or shared among the winner(s), where the division of thecommon jackpot pool is calculated based on the participation parameters(i.e., options) chosen by each player of the plurality of players.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to deliver a suite of gamesconfigured to display, in real-time, multiple options to each player ofa plurality of players, where the suite of games shares a common feature(e.g., but not limited to, matrix/game mode, price point, etc.), andwhere the combined sales obtained/collected from each player of theplurality of players of the suite of games are used to fund a commonjackpot pool (i.e., a single jackpot pool).

Example 1: Construction of a Multiple Options Game with a Common JackpotPool

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to deliver a suite of gamesconfigured to display, in real-time, multiple options to each player ofa plurality of players (e.g., where the plurality of players can be1,000 players, 10,000 players, 100,000 players, 1,000,000 players,etc.). In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating systemincorporates predetermined parameters (i.e., options) for defining agame, where the predetermined parameters are designed by a gameorganizer/operator (e.g. Lottery Operator). In some embodiments, thepredetermined parameters can include the following elements:

-   -   one or multiple matrices/game modes;    -   one or multiple price points;    -   one or multiple payout levels;    -   multiple prize structures; and    -   a specified jackpot collection and distribution mechanism, from        a plurality of jackpot collection and distribution mechanisms.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to conduct game(s) having one ormultiple matrices/game modes (e.g., Lotto, Number, Keno games, or anycombination thereof). In some embodiments, the inventive game-operatingsystem(s) of the present invention is configured to conduct game(s)having one or multiple price points, where the multiple price pointsshare a pattern, where the pattern may assist the players to understandthe game (e.g., x, 2x, 3x, 4x, 5x, etc.; x, 5x, 10x, 15x, etc.; x, 2x,4x, 6x, 8x, etc.; or any other numeric pattern.)

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to deliver one or multiple payoutlevels to a player and/or a plurality of players, where the payoutlevel(s) is/are based on the price point and/or matrix/game mode, where(1) payout levels and corresponding price points, and (2) matricesoffered to each player can be related/correlated, e.g., but not limitedto: payout level “x” at matrix “y”, payout level “2x” at matrix “2y”,payout level “3x” at matrix “3y”, etc. In other embodiments, one ormultiple payout levels can be offered to a player and/or a plurality ofplayers, where (1) payout levels and corresponding matrix/game mode, and(2) price points offered to each player can be related/correlated, e.g.,but not limited to: payout level “x” for price point “y”, payout level“2x” for price point “2y”, payout level “3x” for price point “3y”, etc.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to deliver multiple different prizestructures, where each prize structure can offer a different numberand/or value of prizes to at least one player and/or a plurality ofplayers, where there can be a correlation between the prize structuresutilized per (1) price point and (2) matrices offered, e.g., but notlimited to: prize structure A at price point B with matrix C offered;prize structure A′ at price point B′ with matrix C′ offered; etc.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to conduct one of the following twojackpot collection and distribution mechanisms:

(a) one common jackpot pool, and

(b) separate jackpot funds with one common fund for jackpot increases.

Common Jackpot Pool

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to conduct a game that delivers atleast one winning prize to at least one winning player, where the atleast one winning prize is allocated from one common jackpot pool, wherethe common jackpot pool can be collected with assigned payout levelsfrom all game modes and/or price points. In some embodiments, thejackpot winner(s) can be awarded a portion of the common jackpot pool.For example, in the case of three price points available, a firstplurality of players participating with the lowest price point will beawarded x % of the jackpot collected, the mid-price point winners willreceive 2x % of the jackpot collected, and the high price point winnerswill receive 5x % of the jackpot collected. In some embodiments, in thecase of at least one winner of a single price point, the game isconfigured to deliver an assigned portion of the collected jackpot tothat winner or winners of the particular price point, leaving for thenext draw a remainder of the common jackpot pool to roll over and createand/or increase a subsequent jackpot. In some embodiments, when thereare winners from all price points (e.g., winner A wins at price point A′and winner B wins at price point B′ where all price points include A′and B′, etc.), the entire common jackpot pool can be shared amongwinners A and B based on a predetermined ratio (e.g., but not limitedto: x %:2x %, x %:5x %, etc.).

Separate Jackpot Funds with One Common Fund/Pool for Jackpot Increases

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to fund separate jackpot pools, onefor each different game option, and one common pool to fund jackpotincreases, where each game mode/price point can fund a separate jackpotpool, and where a portion of each game mode and/or price point sales canbe collected to fund the common pool for jackpot increases. In someembodiments, the jackpot winner(s) (i.e. winning player(s)) can beawarded a portion or the entirety of the jackpot collected for the gamemode and/or price point based on a winning player's choice and/or aportion of the jackpot increase based on the winning player's gamemode/price point participation, e.g., for example, but not limited to,winning players identified as having chosen the lowest price point willbe awarded x % of the jackpot increase collected, the mid-price pointwinners 2x % of the jackpot increase collected, and the high price pointwinners 5x % of the jackpot increase collected, in addition to thejackpot collected for the price point selected by the winning player(s).In some embodiments, when a winner(s) is/are determined from any pricepoint, a predetermined/assigned portion of the jackpot increase can bedistributed to the winner, leaving for the next draw the rest of thecommon pool for jackpot increases to roll over. In some embodiments,when at least a winner is determined from all price points (e.g., Awinner from A′ price point, B winner from B′ price point, and C winnerfrom C′ price point, where the price points include A′, B′, and C′), theentire jackpot increase fund will be shared among them (e.g., A, B, andC) in accordance to the preset ratio per price point (for instance: x %,2x %, and 5x %).

Example 1 One Matrix/Game Mode & One Common Jackpot Pool/Fund

In one embodiment of the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention, the game can be configured to allow a game operator(e.g., lottery operator) to create a first game having multiple options,configured to deliver to a plurality of players: a single matrix/gamemode, having one common draw for simplicity (as a non-limiting example:Lotto 6/49) where the game is configured to offer a plurality of playersthree price points, e.g. $1, $2, $5 (any three non-identical pricepoints can be used; e.g., but not limited to, $0.25, $1.00, and $4.00;$5, $10, and $15; $2, $4, $6, etc.). In some embodiments, the first gamehas rules that are designed to provide increasing payout levels perprice point so as to compensate for anticipated participation levels,where higher price points may attract fewer players than lower pricepoints.

In some embodiments, the first game of the present invention has furtherrules that are designed to construct different prize structures for thehigher price matrices so as to offer increased value to each player, interms of winning categories and/or values of prizes. In someembodiments, the first game has rules that are designed to provideadditional value to each player out of a plurality of players in orderto motivate each player of a plurality of players to spend/buy more forthe first game although it offers the same chance of winning acrossavailable game options (i.e., with the same odds of winning).

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to conduct a game that operates acommon jackpot fund/pool to provide at least one top prize(s) to atleast one winning player of a plurality of players. In some embodiments,a particular game in accordance with the present invention can operate acommon jackpot pool collected from all price points according toassigned/predetermined payout allocation. In some embodiments, anotherparticular game in accordance with the present invention can have ruleswhere the jackpot winner(s) will be awarded a portion of the commonjackpot (common jackpot prize distribution) that corresponds to aparticular price participation/payment (i.e., the common jackpot prizedistribution is based on the operation of the common jackpot). As anon-limiting example, winning player(s) having paid the lowest pricepoint will be awarded 20% of the jackpot collected, the mid-pricewinning player(s) will be awarded 50% of the jackpot collected, and thehigh price winning player(s) 100% of the jackpot collected.

In some embodiments, the inventive game in accordance with the presentinvention can have rules where a winner can be selected from any pricepoint. In some embodiments, the game is configured to deliver theassigned portion of the jackpot to a winner(s), and will keep, e.g., forthe next draw(s), the rest of the jackpot pool to roll over and fundjackpots in future draw(s). In some embodiments, when a winner is foundfrom all price points, the entire jackpot fund will be shared among thewinners in accordance to the preset ratio per price point, and nojackpot fund will be rolled over to future draws.

Example 2 One Matrix/Game Mode & Separate Jackpot Funds with One CommonFund for Jackpot Increases

In another embodiment of the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention, the game can be configured to allow a game operator(e.g., lottery operator) to create a first game having multiple options,configured to deliver to a player and/or a plurality of players: asingle matrix/game mode, having one common draw, as a non-limitingexample: Lotto 6/49, where the game is configured to offer a pluralityof players three price points, e.g., but not limited to, $1, $2, $5 (anythree non-identical price points can be used; e.g., but not limited to,$0.25, $1.00, and $4.00; $5, $10, and $15; $2, $4, $6, etc.). In someembodiments, the first game has rules that are designed to offerincreasing payout levels per price point so as to compensate foranticipated participation levels, where higher price points mighttypically attract fewer players than lower price points. In someembodiments, the first game of the present invention has further rulesthat are designed to construct different prize structures for the higherpriced matrix/game mode, offering increased value to each player, interms of winning categories and/or value of prizes. In some embodiments,the first game has rules that are designed to motivate each player of aplurality of players to spend/buy more for the same game (i.e., with thesame odds of winning).

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) isconfigured to conduct games that use separate jackpot funds/pools havingone common fund/pool for jackpot increases. In some embodiments, eachprice point can fund a separate jackpot pool, and a portion of eachprice point sale(s) can be collected and delivered to fund the commonfund/pool utilized for jackpot increases. As a non-limiting example ofthe inventive game-operating system, the $1 price game mode jackpot canbe funded by 20% of the game mode sales, the $2 price point by 18% ofthe game mode sales, and $5 price by 22% of the game mode sales, wherestarting jackpot levels could be set per price point, which may furtherincrease the appeal of the game modes to each player of the plurality ofplayers, e.g., but not limited to: $250,000 for the $1 price game mode,$800,000 for the $2 price game mode, and $1,500,000 for the $5 pricegame mode.

In another embodiment, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to collect a secondary fund/pool,where the secondary fund/pool will be collected conjointly (commonjackpot) by all price point game modes and can be used to fund furtherjackpot increases. As a non-limiting example, 7% of the $1 game mode, 4%of the $2 game mode, and 3% of the $5 game mode can be collected in eachdraw without a winner and will be used to fund the common jackpotincrease for the next draw (i.e., used for operating the commonjackpot).

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to award a winning player(s) thejackpot/winnings collected for the price point of the winning player'schoice and the portion of the jackpot increase that corresponds to thewinning player's price participation. As a non-limiting example: thewinning player(s) of the $1 can be awarded 20% of the jackpot increasecollected, the $2 winning players can be awarded 50%, and the $5 winningplayers can be awarded 100% of the jackpot increase collected.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to identify a winning player at aprice point, where the winning player will collect the assigned portionof the jackpot increase, leaving for the next draw the remainder of thejackpot pool to roll over and fund a jackpot in future draw(s) (e.g., ahigher jackpot). In some embodiments, when a winning player isidentified from each price point (thus, winning players are identifiedat all price points), the entire jackpot increase fund will be sharedamong all of the winning players in accordance to a preset ratio perprice point.

Example 3 One Price Option & One Common Jackpot Fund

In some embodiments of the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention, the system can be configured to allow a game operator(e.g., lottery operator) to create a first game having multiple options,configured to deliver to a plurality of players: one single priceoption, (e.g., but not limited to, $1) and three distinct matrices/gamemodes with increasing winning odds. As non-limiting examples:

(A) the pool of numbers the player selects from (e.g. 6 numbers out of45 numbers (6/45), 6/49, 6/52), or

(B) the pool of numbers the player needs to predict (e.g. 5/49, 6/49,7/49), or

(C) the pool of the numbers the player selects in order to match with aset pool of drawn numbers (e.g., 6/6/49, 7/6/49, 8/6/49).

In some embodiments, the first game of the inventive game-operatingsystem of the present invention has rules that are designed to: (a)increase payout levels per matrix/game mode so as to compensate foranticipated participation levels, where more difficult game modes mayattract fewer players than easy to win modes. In some embodiments, thefirst game of the present invention has further rules that are designedto use different prize structures for the more difficult/challengingmatrices/game modes, offering increased value to a player, in terms ofwinning categories and/or value of prizes. In some embodiments, theinventive game-operating system(s) of the present invention is/areconfigured to conduct games that use/distribute a common jackpotfund/pool collected from all matrices/game modes according to theassigned payout levels for each matrix/game mode. In some embodiments,an exemplary inventive game-operating system is configured to awardjackpot winning players a corresponding portion of the jackpot accordingto the winning player's game participation. As a non-limiting example,the players of the easiest price point will be awarded 20% of thejackpot collected, the mid-difficulty winners 50%, and the highdifficulty winners 100% of the jackpot collected. In some embodiments,the game is configured to identify a winning player at a matrix/gamemode and to deliver the corresponding assigned portion of the jackpotpool, and will keep, e.g., for the next draw(s), the rest of the jackpotpool to roll over and fund jackpots in future draw(s) (e.g., largerjackpots). In some embodiments, when a winner is identified from allgame modes, the entire jackpot fund/pool will be shared among thewinners in accordance to the preset ratio per matrix/game mode.

Example 4 One Price Option & Separate Jackpot Funds with One Common Fundfor Jackpot Increases

In another embodiment of the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention, the game can be configured to allow a game operator(e.g., lottery operator) to create a first game having multiple options,configured to deliver to a plurality of players: one single priceoption, (e.g., but not limited to, $1) and three distinct matrices/gamemodes with increasing winning odds (by manner of modifying either thepool of numbers the player selects or needs to predict). Non-limitingexamples of distinct matrices/game modes include:

(A) the pool of numbers the player selects from (e.g. 6/45, 6/49, 6/52),or

(B) the pool of numbers the player needs to predict (e.g. 5/49, 6/49,7/49), or

(C) the pool of the numbers the player selects in order to match with aset pool of drawn numbers (e.g., 6/6/49, 7/6/49, 8/6/49).

In some embodiments, the first game of the inventive game-operatingsystem of the present invention has further rules that are designed tooffer increasing payout levels per matrix/game mode so as to compensatefor anticipated participation levels, where more difficult game modesmay attract fewer players than easy to win modes. In some embodiments,the first game of the present invention has further rules that aredesigned to use different prize structures for the moredifficult/challenging matrices/game modes, offering increased value to aplayer, in terms of number of winning categories and/or value of prizes.In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to conduct games having separatejackpot funds/pools per game mode/matrix, and one common fund/pool forjackpot increases. In some embodiments, each game mode can fund aseparate jackpot pool, and a portion of each game mode sales can becollected to fund the common fund/pool for jackpot increases. As anon-limiting example of the inventive game-operating system: the 6/45lotto jackpot can be funded by 20% of the game mode sales, the 6/49lotto by 18% of the game mode sales, and 6/52 lotto by 22% of the gamemode sales, where starting jackpot levels could be set per game mode,which may further increase appeal of the game modes to each player ofthe plurality of players, e.g., but not limited to: $250,000 for the6/45 game mode, $800,000 for the 6/49 price game mode, and $1,500,000for the 6.52 price game mode.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is configured to collect a secondary fund/pool, wherethe secondary fund/pool will be collected conjointly from all game modesand used to fund further jackpot increases. As a non-limiting example,7% of the 6/45 lotto, 4% of the 6/49 lotto, and 3% of the 6/52 lottowill be collected in each draw without a winning player and will be usedto fund the jackpot increase for the next draw.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to award a winning jackpot player(s)the jackpot/winnings collected for the game mode of the winner's choiceand the portion of the jackpot increase that corresponds to the winningplayer's game participation. As a non-limiting example: the winningplayer(s) of the 6/45 lotto can be awarded 20% of the jackpot increasecollected, the 6/49 winning players 50%, and the 6/52 winning players100% of the jackpot increase collected, in addition to the jackpot fundcollected for the game mode they selected.

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to identify a winning player at agame mode and award the winning player(s) an assigned portion of thejackpot increase, leaving for the next draw the rest of the jackpot poolto roll over. In some embodiments, when a winning player is identifiedfrom each game mode (thus, winning players are identified at all gamemodes) the entire jackpot increase fund will be shared among all of thewinning players in accordance to the preset ratio per game mode/matrixselected.

General Player Participation Procedure

In some embodiments, the inventive game-operating system(s) of thepresent invention is/are configured to conduct a lottery game havingmultiple options, where the options include: price points, payoutlevels, prize structures, jackpot collection and distributionmechanism(s), or any combination thereof. A non-limiting exampleincludes a Lottery Operator offering a lotto 6/49 game with 3 pricepoints ($1, $2, $5), that correspond to three payout levels (50%, 60%,70% accordingly) and 3 prize structures (with 4, 4 and 5 winningcategories each, including prizes of increasing value). In someembodiments, the game is configured to receive a player's game playingselection. As a non-limiting example, the player's selection can be: (a)a 6-number combination and a price point or (b) a randomly selectednumber combination and a price point from a system database of theinventive game-operating system. In some embodiments, the game isconfigured to receive each player's entry of a plurality of players'entries by identifying each purchase(s)/transaction. In someembodiments, the game is configured to record (i.e., log) the selectionof each player of the plurality of players. In some embodiments, thegame is configured to dispense at least one ticket through a terminal toeach player of the plurality of players, where the at least one ticketincludes information regarding the 6-number combination and/or the pricepoint selected. In some embodiments, the game is configured to receiveupdates regarding number and price point selection of each player of aplurality of players. As a non-limiting example, the game is configuredto conduct a public draw of 6 numbers out of the 49 available numbers.In some embodiments, the game is configured to verify a player'swinnings based on the 6 numbers drawn, where winnings are directlyrelated to/depend on an amount of numbers a player(s) has/have matchedand the price point the player(s) has/have selected. In someembodiments, the game is configured to update the jackpot level for thenext draw based on the number of top winning players per price point.

In some embodiments, the present invention(s) is/are a method configuredfor conducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) constructinga single game mode; (ii) generating a plurality of price points topresent to each player of a plurality of players; (iii) identifying aplurality of payout levels, where each payout level corresponds to eachavailable price point; (iv) determining winning categories, with prizestructures awarding prizes of different number and value to players ofdifferent price points and payout levels; (v) identifying a singlecommon jackpot pool to fund the top prize for all price points availableby collecting a predetermined share of the sales of the different pricepoints; (vi) conducting a draw, the results of which will allow thesystem to identify (a) at least a winning player and award the top prizein accordance to the price point the winning player had chosen, or (b)the absence of a winning player and transfer the collected fund to thenext draw.

In some embodiments, the present invention is/are an inventive method(s)for conducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) constructinga single game mode; (ii) identifying a plurality of price points topresent to each player of a plurality of players; (iii) generating aplurality of payout levels, where each payout level corresponds to eachavailable price point; (iv) determining winning categories, with prizestructures awarding prizes of different number and value to players ofdifferent price points and payout levels; (v) setting a predeterminedshare of the sales of each different price point to fund the individualtop prize of each price point ; (vi) collecting a predetermined share ofthe sales of the different price points into a single jackpot pool tofund the increases of the top prize; (vii) conducting a draw, theresults of which will allow the system to identify (a) at least awinning player and award the top prize in accordance to the price pointthe winning player had chosen (both the top prize collected for theprice point the winning player had chosen, and the portion of the commonfund for jackpot increases designed for the price point the winningplayer had chosen), or (b) the absence of a winning player and transferthe collected fund to the next draw.

In some embodiments, the present invention is/are an inventive method(s)for conducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) setting asingle price option; (ii) generating a plurality of game modes availablefor player participation; (iii) setting a plurality of payout levels,where each payout level of the plurality of payout levels is availablefor each game mode; (iv) determining winning categories, with prizestructures awarding prizes of different number and value to players ofdifferent game modes and payout levels; (v) identifying a single jackpotpool to fund the top prize for all game modes available by collecting apredetermined share of the sales of the different game modes; (vi)conducting a draw, the results of which will allow the system toidentify (a) at least a winning player and award the top prize inaccordance to the game mode the winning player had chosen, or (b) theabsence of a winning player and transfer the collected fund to the nextdraw.

In some embodiments, the present invention is/are an inventive method(s)for conducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) setting asingle price option; (ii) generating a plurality of game modes availablefor player participation; (iii) setting a plurality of payout levels,where each payout level of the plurality of payout levels is availablefor each game mode; (iv) determining winning categories, with prizestructures awarding prizes of different number and value to players ofdifferent game modes and payout levels; (v) setting a predeterminedshare of the sales of each different game mode to fund the individualtop prize of each game mode; (vi) collecting a predetermined share ofthe sales of the different game modes into a common jackpot pool to fundthe increases of the top prize; (vii) conducting a draw, the results ofwhich will allow the system to identify (a) at least a winning playerand award the top prize in accordance to the game mode the winningplayer had chosen, or (b) the absence of a winning player and transferthe collected fund to the next draw.

In some embodiments, the present invention is/are an inventive method(s)for conducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) generating agame with a single matrix/game mode, where the game is configured toinclude a plurality of: (a) price points, (b) payout levels, and (c)prize structures, (ii) identifying a method to collect and dispensing acommon jackpot pool; (iii) delivering a ticket to a player containingthe game data and/or price point selected by the player; (iv) drawingthe winning game data from a pool of game data options; (v) identifyinga winning player(s) at a price point and/or more price points, where thewinning player is identified by the winning ticket; (vi) awarding atleast a portion of the common jackpot pool based on the price point ofthe winning ticket to the winning player(s), or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the present invention is/are an inventive method(s)for conducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) designing agame having: (a) a single matrix/game mode and (b) multiple pricepoints, payout levels, prize structures, jackpot pools, or anycombination thereof; (ii) identifying a method to collect a singlecommon pool to be used for jackpot increases; (iii) dispensing a ticketcontaining the game data and/or the selected price point to each playerof a plurality of players; (iv) drawing the winning game data from apool of game data options; or any combination thereof. In someembodiments, the game further comprises of: (v) identifying at least onewinning player by using the information on a player's ticket incorrelation to the winning game data, and (vi) awarding the jackpot poolcollected for the price point of the winning ticket, where the awardedjackpot comprises of (a) the top prize collected for the price point theplayer in possession of the winning ticket had chosen, and (b) the shareof the common fund for jackpot increases designed for the price pointthe player in possession of the winning ticket had chosen, where thisjackpot increase share is increased in accordance to the price point ofthe winning ticket.

In some embodiments, the present invention is an inventive method(s) forconducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) designing a gamehaving: (a) a single price point and (b) multiple game modes/matrices,payout levels, prize structures, or any combination thereof, (ii)identifying a method to collect a single common jackpot pool anddistribute this pool to each player of a plurality of players; (iii)dispensing a ticket to each player of a plurality of players, where eachticket contains game data according to the game mode selected by eachplayer of the plurality of players; (iv) drawing the winning game datafrom a pool of game data options; (v) determining a winning mode, wherea predetermined amount of game data in the winning game data combinationcoincides with the game data contained in the dispensed tickets per gamemode; (vi) awarding portion(s) of the common jackpot, depending on thegame mode of the winning ticket, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the present invention is/are an inventive method(s)for conducting a lottery game, comprising the steps of: (i) designing agame having (a) a single price point, and (b) multiple gamemodes/matrices, payout levels, prize structures, jackpot pools, or anycombination thereof; (ii) identifying a method to collect and distributea single pool for jackpot increases; (iii) dispensing a ticket, wherethe ticket contains the game data according to the game mode selected bythe player, to each player of a plurality of players; (iv) drawing thewinning game data from an available pool of game data options; (v)determining a winning mode, where a predetermined amount of game data inthe winning game data combination coincides with the game data containedin the dispensed tickets per game mode; (vi) awarding the jackpot poolcollected for the game mode the winning ticket bares, where the jackpotcomprises of (a) the top prize collected for the game mode the player inpossession of the winning ticket had chosen, and (b) the share of thecommon fund for jackpot increases designed for the game mode the playerin possession of the winning ticket had chosen, where this jackpotincrease share is increased in accordance to the game mode identified onthe winning ticket, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the game is an enhancement of an existing lotterygame, currently available in the local Lottery market (e.g., keno,lotto, number, etc.). In some embodiments, the game is a new lotterygame. In some embodiments, the game is designed to generate aplayer-specific result, allowing for players to know instantly whetherthey have won a prize (e.g., personalized presentation of drawingresults, personalized game environment for playing a game, etc.). Insome embodiments, the game is designed to generate a generic resultwhich is common for all participating players (e.g., universalpresentation of drawing results, universal game environment for playinga game, etc.).

In some embodiments, the present invention is an inventivegame-operating system(s) for conducting a lottery game(s), comprising:(i) designing a game having (a) a single game mode and (b) multipleprice points, payout levels, prize structures, or any combinationthereof, (ii) collecting a common jackpot pool to be funded bypredetermined shares of the sales from each price point; (iii)dispensing a ticket containing game data following the rules of the gamemode, and price point selected by each player of a plurality of players;(iv) drawing winning game data from an available pool of game dataoptions; (v) determining a winning mode, where a predetermined amount ofgame data in the winning game data combination coincides with the gamedata contained in the dispensed tickets per price point; (vi) awardingjackpot shares depending on the price point identified on the winningticket, or any combination thereof.

In some embodiments, the present invention is/are an inventivegame-operating system(s) for conducting a lottery game, comprising: (i)designing a game having (a) a single price point and (b) multiple gamemodes/matrices, payout levels, prize structures, or any combinationthereof, (ii) collecting a single common jackpot pool to be funded bypredetermined shares of the sales from each game mode; (iii) dispensinga ticket containing game data according to game mode selected; (iv)drawing the winning game data from available pool of game data options;(v) determining a winning mode, where a predetermined amount of gamedata in the winning game data combination coincides with the game datacontained in the dispensed tickets per game mode; (vi) awarding jackpotshares depending on the game mode the winning ticket bares, or anycombination thereof.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment of the inventive game-operating systemof the present invention, showing a flow chart of a business decisiontree.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate embodiments of the inventive game-operatingsystem of the present invention, each figure showing flow charts of acommon matrix and method of collection and distribution of a singlejackpot pool among price points.

FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C illustrate embodiments of the inventivegame-operating system of the present invention, showing flow charts of agame combination of different game modes/matrices having a common priceand a common jackpot pool.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate embodiments of the inventive game-operatingsystem of the present invention, showing flow charts of a common gamemode/matrix (e.g., in winning mode), showing three price points, eachwith individual jackpot pool, and a common pool utilized for jackpotincreases.

FIG. 9A, 9B, and 9C illustrate embodiments of the inventivegame-operating system of the present invention, showing flow charts of acommon game mode/matrix having one price point, varying payouts, prizestructures and jackpot pools, and one common pool utilized for jackpotincreases.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of the inventivegame-operating method of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of the inventivegame-operating method of the present invention, showing the jackpotdistribution mechanism in the case of one or multiple winners from oneor more price points and/or game modes.

FIG. 12 is an illustration of the jackpot announcement of a single gamemode/matrix and multiple price points, each awarding a different shareof the common jackpot pool to the winners.

FIGS. 13A, 13B, and 13C illustrate indicative designs of playslips andtickets utilized for the embodiments of the present invention offeringplayers a single game mode/matrix and jackpot pool, and multiple priceoptions.

FIG. 14 illustrates embodiments of the present invention, showing anindicative prize structure designed with a single game mode/matrix andmultiple price options, prize structures, and payout levels, offering acommon jackpot pool.

FIGS. 15A and 15B illustrate indicative designs of playslips utilizedfor the embodiments of the present invention offering players a singleprice point and jackpot pool, and multiple game modes/matrices.

FIG. 16 illustrates embodiments of the present invention, showing anindicative prize structure designed with a single price point andmultiple game modes/matrices, prize structures, and payout levels,offering a common jackpot pool.

Illustrative Operating Environments

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of an environment in which the presentinvention may operate. However, not all of these components may berequired to practice the invention, and variations in the arrangementand type of the components may be made without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention. In some embodiments, the inventive system andmethod may include a large number of members and/or concurrenttransactions. In other embodiments, the inventive system and method arebased on a scalable computer and network architecture that incorporatesvaries strategies for assessing the data, caching, searching, anddatabase connection pooling. An example of the scalable architecture isan architecture that is capable of operating multiple servers.

In embodiments, members of the computer system 102-104 include virtuallyany computing device capable of receiving and sending a message over anetwork, such as network 105, to and from another computing device, suchas servers 106 and 107, each other, and the like. In embodiments, theset of such devices includes devices that typically connect using awired communications medium such as personal computers, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,network PCs, and the like. In embodiments, the set of such devices alsoincludes devices that typically connect using a wireless communicationsmedium such as cell phones, smart phones, pagers, walkie talkies, radiofrequency (RF) devices, infrared (IR) devices, CBs, integrated devicescombining one or more of the preceding devices, or virtually any mobiledevice, and the like. Similarly, in embodiments, client devices 102-104are any device that is capable of connecting using a wired or wirelesscommunication medium such as a PDA, POCKET PC, wearable computer, andany other device that is equipped to communicate over a wired and/orwireless communication medium.

In embodiments, each member device within member devices 102-104 mayinclude a browser application that is configured to receive and to sendweb pages, and the like. In embodiments, the browser application may beconfigured to receive and display graphics, text, multimedia, and thelike, employing virtually any web based language, including, but notlimited to Standard Generalized Markup Language (SMGL), such asHyperText Markup Language (HTML), a wireless application protocol (WAP),a Handheld Device Markup Language (HDML), such as Wireless MarkupLanguage (WML), WMLScript, XML, JavaScript, and the like. Inembodiments, programming may include either Java, .Net, QT, C, C++ orother suitable programming language.

In embodiments, member devices 102-104 may be further configured toreceive a message from another computing device employing anothermechanism, including, but not limited to email, Short Message Service(SMS), Multimedia Message Service (MMS), instant messaging (IM),internet relay chat (IRC), mIRC, Jabber, and the like or a Proprietaryprotocol.

In embodiments, network 105 may be configured to couple one computingdevice to another computing device to enable them to communicate. Insome embodiments, network 105 may be enabled to employ any form ofcomputer readable media for communicating information from oneelectronic device to another. Also, in embodiments, network 105 mayinclude a wireless interface, and/or a wired interface, such as theInternet, in addition to local area networks (LANs), wide area networks(WANs), direct connections, such as through a universal serial bus (USB)port, other forms of computer-readable media, or any combinationthereof. In embodiments, on an interconnected set of LANs, includingthose based on differing architectures and protocols, a router may actas a link between LANs, enabling messages to be sent from one toanother.

Also, in some embodiments, communication links within LANs typicallyinclude twisted wire pair or coaxial cable, while communication linksbetween networks may utilize analog telephone lines, full or fractionaldedicated digital lines including T1, T2, T3, and T4, IntegratedServices Digital Networks (ISDNs), Digital Subscriber Lines (DSLs),wireless links including satellite links, or other communications linksknown to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, in some embodiments,remote computers and other related electronic devices could be remotelyconnected to either LANs or WANs via a modem and temporary telephonelink. In essence, in some embodiments, network 105 includes anycommunication method by which information may travel between clientdevices 102-104, and servers 106 and 107.

FIG. 2 shows another exemplary embodiment of the computer and networkarchitecture that supports the methods and systems of the instantinvention. In some embodiments, the member devices 202 a, 202 b thru 202n shown each at least includes a computer-readable medium, such as arandom access memory (RAM) 208 coupled to a processor 210 or FLASHmemory. In some embodiments, the processor 210 may executecomputer-executable program instructions stored in memory 208. In someembodiments, such processors comprise a microprocessor, an ASIC, andstate machines. In some embodiments, such processors comprise, or may bein communication with, media, for example computer-readable media, whichstores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause theprocessor to perform the steps described herein. Embodiments ofcomputer-readable media may include, but are not limited to, anelectronic, optical, magnetic, or other storage or transmission devicecapable of providing a processor, such as the processor 210 of client202 a, with computer-readable instructions. In some embodiments, otherexamples of suitable media may include, but are not limited to, a floppydisk, CD-ROM, DVD, magnetic disk, memory chip, ROM, RAM, an ASIC, aconfigured processor, all optical media, all magnetic tape or othermagnetic media, or any other medium from which a computer processor canread instructions. Also, various other forms of computer-readable mediamay transmit or carry instructions to a computer, including a router,private or public network, or other transmission device or channel, bothwired and wireless. In some embodiments, the instructions may comprisecode from any computer-programming language, including, for example, C,C++, Visual Basic, Java, Python, Perl, and JavaScript.

In some embodiments, member devices 202 a-n may also comprise a numberof external or internal devices such as a mouse, a CD-ROM, DVD, akeyboard, a display, or other input or output devices. Examples ofclient devices 202 a-n may be personal computers, digital assistants,personal digital assistants, cellular phones, mobile phones, smartphones, pagers, digital tablets, laptop computers, Internet appliances,and other processor-based devices. In general, a client device 202 a maybe any type of processor-based platform that is connected to a network206 and that interacts with one or more application programs. Clientdevices 202 a-n may operate on any operating system capable ofsupporting a browser or browser-enabled application, such as Microsoft™,Windows™, or Linux. The client devices 202 a-n shown may include, forexample, personal computers executing a browser application program suchas Microsoft Corporation's Internet Explorer™, Apple Computer, Inc.'sSafari™, Mozilla Firefox, and Opera. Through the client devices 202 a-n,users, 212 a-n communicate over the network 206 with each other and withother systems and devices coupled to the network 206. As shown in FIG.2, server devices 204 and 213 may be also coupled to the network 206. Inan embodiment of the present invention, one or more clients can be amobile client.

In some embodiments, the term “mobile electronic device” may refer toany portable electronic device that may or may not be enabled withlocation tracking functionality. For example, a mobile electronic devicecan include, but is not limited to, a mobile phone, Personal DigitalAssistant (PDA), Blackberry™, Pager, Smartphone, or any other reasonablemobile electronic device. For ease, at times the above variations arenot listed or are only partially listed, this is in no way meant to be alimitation.

In some embodiments, the terms “proximity detection,” “locating,”“location data,” “location information,” and “location tracking” as usedherein may refer to any form of location tracking technology or locatingmethod that can be used to provide a location of a mobile electronicdevice, such as, but not limited to, at least one of locationinformation manually input by a user, such as, but not limited toentering the city, town, municipality, zip code, area code, crossstreets, or by any other reasonable entry to determine a geographicalarea; Global Positions Systems (GPS); GPS accessed using Bluetooth™; GPSaccessed using any reasonable form of wireless and/or non-wirelesscommunication; WiFi™ server location data; Bluetooth™ based locationdata; triangulation such as, but not limited to, network basedtriangulation, WiFi™ server information based triangulation, Bluetooth™server information based triangulation; Cell Identification basedtriangulation, Enhanced Cell Identification based triangulation,Uplink-Time difference of arrival (U-TDOA) based triangulation, Time ofarrival (TOA) based triangulation, Angle of arrival (AOA) basedtriangulation; techniques and systems using a geographic coordinatesystem such as, but not limited to, longitudinal and latitudinal based,geodesic height based, cartesian coordinates based; Radio FrequencyIdentification such as, but not limited to, Long range RFID, Short rangeRFID; using any form of RFID tag such as, but not limited to active RFIDtags, passive RFID tags, battery assisted passive RFID tags; or anyother reasonable way to determine location. For ease, at times the abovevariations are not listed or are only partially listed, this is in noway meant to be a limitation.

In some embodiments, near-field wireless communication (NFC) canrepresent a short-range wireless communications technology in whichNFC-enabled devices are “swiped,” “bumped,” “tap” or otherwise moved inclose proximity to communicate. In some embodiments, NFC could include aset of short-range wireless technologies, typically requiring a distanceof 10 cm or less.

In some embodiments, NFC may operate at 13.56 MHz on ISO/IEC 18000-3 airinterface and at rates ranging from 106 kbit/s to 424 kbit/s. In someembodiments, NFC can involve an initiator and a target; the initiatoractively generates an RF field that can power a passive target. In someembodiment, this can enable NFC targets to take very simple form factorssuch as tags, stickers, key fobs, or cards that do not requirebatteries. In some embodiments, NFC peer-to-peer communication can beconducted when a plurality of NFC-enable devices within close proximityof each other.

For purposes of the instant description, the terms “cloud,” “Internetcloud,” “cloud computing,” “cloud architecture,” and similar termscorrespond to at least one of the following: (1) a large number ofcomputers connected through a real-time communication network (e.g.,Internet); (2) providing the ability to run a program or application onmany connected computers (e.g., physical machines, virtual machines(VMs)) at the same time; (3) network-based services, which appear to beprovided by real server hardware, and are in fact served up by virtualhardware (e.g., virtual servers), simulated by software running on oneor more real machines (e.g., allowing to be moved around and scaled up(or down) on the fly without affecting the end user). In someembodiments, the inventive game-operating system offers/manages thecloud computing/architecture as, but not limiting to: infrastructure aservice (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and software as a service(SaaS). FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate schematics of exemplary implementationsof the cloud computing/architecture.

Of note, the embodiments described herein may, of course, be implementedusing any appropriate computer system hardware and/or computer systemsoftware. In this regard, those of ordinary skill in the art are wellversed in the type of computer hardware that may be used (e.g., amainframe, a mini-computer, a personal computer (“PC”), a network (e.g.,an intranet and/or the internet)), the type of computer programmingtechniques that may be used (e.g., object oriented programming), and thetype of computer programming languages that may be used (e.g., C++,Basic, AJAX, Javascript). The aforementioned examples are, of course,illustrative and not restrictive.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides for a specificallyprogrammed game operating computer system, including at least thefollowing components: at least one specialized computer machine,including at least the following components: a non-transient memory,electronically storing particular computer executable program code; andat least one computer processor which, when executing the particularprogram code, becomes a specifically programmed computer processor ofthe specifically programmed game operating computer system that isconfigured to concurrently perform in real-time at least the followingoperations for at least a thousand (1,000) of players: electronicallyreceiving, by the at least one specialized computer machine, inreal-time, via a computer network, game entries data representing gameentries from the at least 1,000 players, where each game entry dataincludes: i) game mode data, identifying at least one first game beingplayed, ii) at least one price point selection, identifying an amountspent to purchase such game entry, and iii) at least one game playingselection by a corresponding player; where the at least one first game:i) has a first common jackpot feature, 1) where the first common jackpotfeature is configured to be calculated, in real-time during game entrysubmission, based on the at least one first game having a plurality ofoptions within at least one of the following parameters: a) a pricepoint per game entry, b) a payout level, c) a prize structure, d) acommon jackpot contribution collection, and e) a prize distributionmechanism; or ii) is configured to share a second common jackpot featurewith at least one second game, 1) where the second common jackpotfeature is configured to be calculated, in real-time during game entrysubmission, based on the at least one first game and the at least onesecond game having the plurality of options within at least one of thefollowing parameters respectively: a) the price point per game entry, b)the payout level, c) the prize structure, d) the common jackpotcontribution collection, and e) the prize distribution mechanism;electronically calculating, by the at least one specialized computermachine, in real-time during each game entry submission: 1) portionweight contributions for allocating game entry amounts to operate thefirst common jackpot feature or the second common jackpot feature, wherethe calculating of the portion weight contributions is based, at leastin part, on the plurality of options within at least one of thefollowing parameters: a) the price point per game entry, b) the payoutlevel, and c) the prize structure; and 2) an current estimated commonjackpot amount; electronically allocating, by the at least onespecialized computer machine, in real-time, the game entry amounts fromthe game entries of the at least 1,000 players to operate the firstcommon jackpot feature or the second common jackpot feature; andelectronically determining, by the at least one specialized computermachine, at least one game winner; and electronically generating, by theat least one specialized computer machine, at least one prizedistribution, comprising a common jackpot prize distribution based onthe operation of the first common jackpot feature or the second commonjackpot feature.

In some embodiments, the at least one first game is a first lotterygame. In some embodiments, the at least one second game is a secondlottery game. In some embodiments, the at least one game playingselection is: 1) randomly generated by a lottery terminal, or 2)electronically acquired from a lottery paper slip or a digital inputsubmitted by such player via a specialized graphical user interfacespecifically programmed for the at least one first game. In someembodiments, the price point per game entry has at least two optionswhich each player can select from. In some embodiments, the payout levelhas at least two options which each player can select from. In someembodiments, the prize structure parameter has at least two optionswhich each player can select from.

In some embodiments, the present invention provides for acomputer-implemented method, including at least the steps of:electronically receiving, by at least one specifically programmedcomputer processor, via a computer network, in real-time, game entriesdata representing game entries from at least a thousand (1,000) ofplayers, where each game entry data includes: i) game mode data,identifying at least one first game being played, ii) at least one pricepoint selection, identifying an amount spent to purchase such gameentry, and iii) at least one game playing selection by a correspondingplayer; where the at least one first game: i) has a first common jackpotfeature, 1) where the first common jackpot feature is configured to becalculated, in real-time during game entry submission, based on the atleast one first game having a plurality of options within at least oneof the following parameters: a) a price point per game entry, b) apayout level, c) a prize structure, d) a common jackpot contributioncollection, and e) a prize distribution mechanism; or ii) is configuredto share a second common jackpot feature with at least one secondgame, 1) where the second common jackpot feature is configured to becalculated, in real-time during game entry submission, based on the atleast one first game and the at least one second game having theplurality of options within at least one of the following parametersrespectively: a) the price point per game entry, b) the payout level, c)the prize structure, d) the common jackpot contribution collection, ande) the prize distribution mechanism; electronically calculating, by theat least one specifically programmed computer processor, in real-timeduring each game entry submission: 1) portion weight contributions forallocating game entry amounts to operate the first common jackpotfeature or the second common jackpot feature, where the calculating ofthe portion weight contributions is based, at least in part, on theplurality of options within at least one of the following parameters: a)the price point per game entry, b) the payout level, and c) the prizestructure; and 2) an current estimated common jackpot amount;electronically allocating, by the at least one specifically programmedcomputer processor, in real-time, the game entry amounts from the gameentries of the at least 1,000 players to operate the first commonjackpot feature or the second common jackpot feature; and electronicallydetermining, by the at least one specifically programmed computerprocessor, at least one game winner; and electronically generating, bythe at least one specifically programmed computer processor, at leastone prize distribution, comprising a common jackpot prize distributionbased on the operation of the first common jackpot feature or the secondcommon jackpot feature.

While a number of embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed, it is understood that these embodiments are illustrativeonly, and not restrictive, and that many modifications may becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. Further still, thevarious steps may be carried out in any desired order (and any desiredsteps may be added and/or any desired steps may be eliminated).

What is claimed is:
 1. A specifically programmed game operating computersystem, comprising: at least one specialized computer machine,comprising: a non-transient memory, electronically storing particularcomputer executable program code; and at least one computer processorwhich, when executing the particular program code, becomes aspecifically programmed computer processor of the specificallyprogrammed game operating computer system that is configured toconcurrently perform in real-time at least the following operations forat least a thousand (1,000) of players: electronically receiving, by theat least one specialized computer machine, in real-time, via a computernetwork, game entries data representing game entries from the at least1,000 players; electronically calculating, by the at least onespecialized computer machine, in real-time during each game entrysubmission a portion weight contributions for allocating game entryamounts to operate a jackpot feature; electronically allocating, by theat least one specialized computer machine, in real-time, the game entryamounts from the game entries of the at least 1,000 players to operatethe jackpot feature; and electronically determining, by the at least onespecialized computer machine, at least one game winner; andelectronically generating, by the at least one specialized computermachine, at least one prize distribution, comprising a jackpot prizedistribution based on the operation of the jackpot feature.